MacBook Air 2017 Release Date, Specs, Rumors and Latest News

Oct 19, 2016 01:08 PM EDT

Every year would see a new product cycle make its way to the market, and the same applies even for Apple. After all, innovation is at the heartbeat of Apple, and there are whispers that a spanking new MacBook Air 2017 is in the pipeline. When the MacBook Air was first released, it wowed everyone with the uniquely thin form factor of the notebook, and this was when the age of Ultrabooks descended upon the Windows-powered crowd. Well, one of the more interesting rumors to escape concerning the MacBook Air 2017 would be the presence of an e-ink keyboard which will surely change the way we use a notebook.

The April 2016 update for the 13-inch MacBook Air was disappointing to say the least, since there were no drastic changes apart from an optional RAM upgrade. What about the new Retina MacBook Air 2017? Here is a round up of its possible release date, hardware specifications and new features.

Mac Otakara and Macrumors do stake claim that there will be a 13-inch MacBook Air that is due for an October 27 2016 release, while those who prefer the smaller sized 11-inch MacBook Air will have to wait until 2017 before any semblance of an update arrives. Perhaps March next year would be the venue of reveal for the 11-inch MacBook Air, taking into consideration how Apple did host a special event on March 21 this year? Spring has traditionally been the time for Apple to introduce some new products along the way.

Alternatively, the 11-inch MacBook Air could be working its way to retirement, and the upcoming 13-inch MacBook Air 2017 might be the last great update to this range before being discontinued, too. Bloomberg did report in August this year that Cupertino is readying a refreshed MacBook Air range complete with USB Type-C ports to keep up with the MacBook.

Tim Cook also did mention in an email to an Apple fan, "I love the Mac and we are very committed to it Stay tuned." This is by no means a total confirmation that there is a new MacBook Air in the, er, air, a new Mac should be expected in the months to come.

There might be a new MacBook Air 2017 with Retina Display, too. Apart from getting thinner and lighter , the new MacBook Air 2017 are also said to sport new batteries, more efficient cooling modules, all crammed into a redesigned chassis. The next generation of Intel processors might also make an appearance, accompanied by better graphics and more RAM. The OLED touch bar is the one rumor that has got many excited, where it provides contextual shortcuts to the user depending on the application that is being used at the moment. It might be that the OLED touch bar idea could be improvised and implemented in the form of an e-ink keyboard. E-ink would allow one to alter key labels on the spot -- transforming your keyboard into a wholly customizable one.

Not only that, its trackpad might also obtain the Force Touch feature alongside Touch ID support. All in all, we do expect the price structure to remain within the general neighborhood as before as the older models are phased out.